German government reconstructs destroyed Trinco building

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 November 2003, 00:32 GMT]The new building of the Sampalthivu Agrarian Services Centre (ASC), located in the village of Aththimoddai, about 7 k.m. north of Trincomalee town, and reconstructed at a cost of 2.9 million rupees with the financial assistance of Integrated Food Security Programme (IFSP) of the German Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ), was handed over to the Agrarian Development Committee of Sampalthivu Friday morning.

The Director of International Emergency Aid, Food, Security and World Food Aid of the Federal German Ministry for Economic Co-operation and development, Mr. Horst Mueller, participated as the chief guest.

The First Secretary of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Colombo, Mr. Matthias Kiesler, also attended the event.

GTZ is a Company owned by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. GTZ is one of the official Planning and Implementation Agencies for the official German Development Cooperation.

The opening of the new ASC in Aththimoddai village would be a blessing for the resettled villagers after spending several years else where as refugees, said several residents of the area who attended the event.

The new building's reconstruction was carried out by the Siruppidikulam-Illupaikulam Farmers' Organization with the assistance of the Department of Agrarian Services, sources said.

IFSP-GTZ Trincomalee team leader Dr.Genitz Dedo speaking at the occasion recalled his visit to Athimoddai village where the new building of the centre is located five years ago in 1998.

"The entire building was in ruins. The entire village was in abandoned state, except jungle nothing was seen in the village. When I queried those who accompanied me they said that no development could be done until peace is restored," said Dr.Dedo at the meeting, which followed the ceremonial opening of the centre building.

Horst Mueller speaking at the function.

Dr.Dedo said with the support of Sri Lankan government the IFSP-GTZ has been successful in rehabilitating the village. Seventy-one houses have been constructed and handed over to the villagers with the grant of the German government. All sections of the society were very helpful in implementing the development.

Trincomalee district Assistant Commissioner of Agrarian Services Mr.V. Ravichandran presiding over the meeting said that the earlier building of the Sampalthivu APC centre had been completely damaged in the civil disturbances. The Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Services and department of Animal Husbandry would be serving the people of the village by establishing their offices in the building. He said he was persuading banks to open their branches in the centre.

The chief guest Mr. Horst Mueller said he was impressed with the development and rehabilitation work carried out in the village and he would be informing his government and his people in Germany that the money allocated had been properly and effectively utilized for the development of the needy in Trincomalee.

At the commencement of the event the guests were received and were taken in a procession to the venue with Nathaswaram and Thavil.

Later Mr. Matthias Kiesler declared open the building by cutting the ribbon and Mr. Holster Mueller lighted the traditional oil lamp. Mr. Horst Mueller then unveiled the name board of the new building. Thereafter Mr. Holster Mueller planted a coconut seedling. Thereafter Mr. Holster Mueller and his team visited a home garden of a resettled internally displaced family in the village.

About two hundred and fifty Tamil families lived in the village of Aththimoddai. When the SLA launched a military offensive in the area, all the families in Aththimoddai fled and sought refuge in Vanni, Jaffna and other areas. With the signing of the ceasefire agreement, internally displaced villagers are returning to Aththimoddai. Aththimoddai is a remote village within in the Sampalthivu Village Council limit.